We’ve oft written about the abject phoniness that poses as “free trade” in Washington, D.C.

Where our trading partners impose all sorts of taxes and import limits on our stuff. And we do nothing of the sort to theirs – flinging wide open our worlds-largest-market to any and all comers.

Where our trading partners’ governments subsidize the living daylight out of their products. Which they then bring to global market – bringing with them the inherent, price-reducing advantages of all the government money behind them.

All of which woefully disadvantages our products – and their producers. Because our producers aren’t competing on anything remotely resembling a level playing field.

This decades-long inanity – has severely damaged our nation.

It has cost us millions of jobs. The Rust Belt – wasn’t always the Rust Belt. It used to be the heart of the world’s greatest manufacturing engine.

Gone are tens of thousands of plants and factories. Swap-outsourced – for government money checks, meth labs and opioid addictions.

Oh: But you can get a Communist Chinese TV at Walmart fo $20 less than you otherwise would – so that makes up for everything.

Speaking of Communist China….

Republican President Donald Trump campaigned for his current gig – against the bipartisan DC headwind: “Manufacturing jobs are never coming back.”

And things will additionally continue to improve – because Trump is also working on the third leg of the economy stool: Improving DCs awful trade track record.

And just in time. Because China has also been stealing the next generation of jobs – generated by and around the creation of Intellectual Property (IP). Having cornered much of our manufacturing job market – China is now moving on our world-leading IP creation.

Trump has been rightly decrying these sorts of awfulness…for decades. He campaigned for President – repeatedly denouncing China’s massive IP theft.

And after working domestically to address regulatory and tax overreach – in March Trump announced steel and aluminum tariffs on China. And did so – citing China’s IP theft as a principal reason therefore. Trump’s tariff total – topped out at $150 billion. Or…less than 25% of China’s annual IP theft from us.

The same DC fake free traders – who have spent several decades allowing to continue unabated this massive Chinese IP theft specifically and awful trade generally – screeched about Trump and his “Trade War.”

News flash, folks: We’ve been in a trade war with China…for decades. They declared it. And until Trump – only they were waging it.

I publicly, repeatedly said Trump’s tariffs were exactly the right thing to do.

If you’ve been punched in the face for half a century and done nothing about it – to get it to finally stop…you have to start punching back.

China has been Muhammad Ali-ing us forever. It’s about time we finally got up off the mat.

Now…I do not like tariffs. Nor do I like artificial government limits imposed on trade. Nor do I like government subsidies of products.

I do not like any of these things – because I like free trade. Not the fake “free trade” with which DC has for decades destroyed us. I like actual, real free trade.

But if I have to swallow some Trump tariffs – to address four times that amount in IP theft – I am all the way down with it.

Trump is threatening to tax some China fruit – to save the US IP fruit tree. Because that tree – is MUCH more important than that fruit.

If we have to pay more for steel and aluminum products – in exchange for saving domestic IP production – then hand me my wallet…I’ll happily pay.

But I also supported Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs – because I knew they would never, ever actually be imposed. Because I know – as Trump does – China needs us…WAY more than we need them.

Who was right? Trump and I – or the DC Smart Set?

China Trade War ‘On Hold’ as Trump Pauses Tariffs: “The administration had threatened $50 billion to $150 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods as a way to deter the theft of U.S. intellectual property and forced transfers of technology. Beijing countered by threatening tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. farm, chemical and other exports.

“But (Treasury Secretary Steven) Mnuchin said Sunday that the two sides agreed on a framework for reducing the U.S. trade deficit with China and addressing technology trade irritants during high-level talks on Thursday and Friday….

“U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, one of the driving forces behind the intellectual property theft investigation that led Trump to threaten tariffs on $50 billion to $150 billion worth of Chinese goods, said in a statement that the two sides have “agreed on a framework to address the very serious issues raised” in that probe. That includes putting the tariffs on hold, but keeping them in reserve if needed.”

Oh look – the Chinese blinked.

Now, I am not an idiot. Neither is Trump (despite widespread reporting to the contrary). I do not trust the Communist Chinese – as far as I can throw their Great Wall.

But we just watched them go – in just two months – from full-on bluster and threats of retaliation…to a unilateral buckling.

Because they know what we all should – that we can afford a “trade war” WAY more than they can.

And most importantly:

I think saving our status as the world leader in IP creation and implementation – is vitally, crucially, fundamentally important to our economic future.

This quote has bopped around for quite some time. It is at times attributed to Communists Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, National Socialist Joseph Goebbels and sometimes even modern Leftist godfather Saul Alinsky.

Regardless of its origin – Leftists are so very excellent at it.

Losing 2016 Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton just spoke at Liberty University (why, Liberty, WHY?) – wearing a Russian hat. So clever. In an attempt to poke at the fact-free year-plus investigation into the guy who beat her – Republican President Donald Trump.

Trump is, of course, alleged to have “colluded” (whatever that means – it ain’t a legal term) with Vladimir Putin, Inc. Never mind the fact that there was zero evidence of any such thing. Either before the launch of said investigation – or at any point since.

You know where there’s long been tons of evidence of blatant Russia collusion? With the hat-wearing Hillary Clinton. Both as Secretary of State…

The Democrats’ Russia Dossier is the sole impetus for the ongoing, endlessly-dragging-on, totally-bogus special counsel investigation.

And before that was the sole impetus for all the bogus warrants the Barack Obama Administration secured against the Trump campaign. All a part of the Obama Administration’s totally bogus investigation – Code Name: Crossfire Hurricane.

All of this nonsense – based on a bunch of highly bogus nonsense sought and received by Democrats from…Russians.

With whom the Democrats obviously had to collude – in order to get their nonsense information.

“At the moment, the battle over network neutrality is not to completely eliminate the telephone and cable companies. We are not at that point yet. But the ultimate goal is to get rid of the media capitalists in the phone and cable companies and to divest them from control.”

Well that’s fantastic.

In the colossal, bogus, nonsense campaign to drum up support for Net Neutrality – the Left accuses private sector Internet Service Providers (ISPs) of a parade of prospective horribles.

On the first “news” story: Yet again, if a headline contains speculative clauses like “could” – it isn’t an actual news headline. It’s a psychic reading.

On the second “news” story: Yet again, these massive regulations were only in place for a little over a year. Which means for the preceding two-plus decades – they weren’t in place. Did ISPs block and/or throttle content during said two-plus decades? Even the most virulent Net Neutrality supporter begrudgingly admits…no, they did not.

On the third “news” story: How does one avoid being blocked or throttled? Keep the government a million miles away from (over-)regulating the Internet.

Because for the last quarter-century, it hasn’t been ISPs blocking and throttling. It’s been governments. Lots and lots and LOTS of governments.

Those of us in touch with Reality have to keep fending off the same dumb ideas – over and over and over again.

Because Leftists remain steadfastly impervious to facts. And possess the collective memory duration of your average “green” toilet flush – you know, the flash flush you have to repeat five or six times to accomplish the basic task.

Which means our first response to their yet again proposing the same stupidity – is usually “Don’t you remember when you tried this the last time?”

Nigh all of their proposals fit rather well under their blanket demand of collectivism – centralization in and under government. Call it what you will – Communism, Socialism, Fascism, whatever. Central planning and execution – for…everything.

The Left seems to have forgotten…we spent the entirety of the Twentieth Century trying this. Collectivism has murdered a hundred million people – and consigned hundreds of millions more to Hell on Earth.

So let’s give it yet another shot, shall we?

Most of what the Left proposes – is applying their collectivism and government-centralization to this or that portion of the private sector. Which is only screwed up to the point where government is already involved. And to which the Left’s “solution” is always…more government.

We’re facing an onslaught of this inanity right now – just in the Tech sector. Dumb ideas – re-treaded so often they’re as bald as Vladimir Lenin. But trotted out yet again by wide-eyed Leftists…as if they have never before been proposed – let alone failingly tried a thousand times.

“Democrats want to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the FCC’s decision. The CRA gives Congress the ability, with a majority in the House and Senate, to repeal agency rules. Republicans employed the tactic frequently during the first half of the year to roll back rules passed during the last days of the Obama administration.”

Ok – let’s begin with the fact that Schumer and his Democrats are using the CRA wrong. It was written and passed – to roll back regulations, as Republicans have done. Not to reimpose them.

That being said, Net Neutrality is Socialism for the Internet – it guarantees everyone equal amounts of nothing.

Don’t want to take my word for it? Fine, take avowed Marxist and media “reformer” Robert McChesney’s:

“There is no real answer but to remove brick by brick the capitalist system itself, rebuilding the entire society on socialist principles.”

“Any serious effort to reform the media system would have to necessarily be part of a revolutionary program to overthrow the capitalist system itself.”

“At the moment, the battle over network neutrality is not to completely eliminate the telephone and cable companies. We are not at that point yet. But the ultimate goal is to get rid of the media capitalists in the phone and cable companies and to divest them from control.”

McChesney’s not exactly obfuscating their intent, is he.

Net Neutrality forces Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to play “Mother May I” with the government before doing…just about anything new on the Internet. It is a massive, centralizing Internet power grab – that was executed unilaterally by the Barack Obama Administration.

The Trump Administration was absolutely correct in undoing it – and thereby restoring the Internet’s two-plus decades of deregulated-decentralization.

You know, the less-than regulatory system that led to more than $1 trillion in ISP investment. That took us from 14.4k dial-up – to 1GB+ speed. That took the Internet from “What’s that?” – to 1/6th of our entire $20 trillion economy.

But let’s ignore all of that uber-successful private sector history – and the planet-wide, century-plus-long failure of centralization – and give government control another go on the Web.

As with nigh all Leftist “solutions” – price controls exacerbate the problems they are supposed to solve.

If you can’t charge a market price for something – including therein a <GASP> profit – there is zero incentive to continue providing that something. So people stop providing that something. Presto: Supply dries up, you have massive scarcity – and prices skyrocket.

Whether it is food, or clothes – or Internet access.

Which is why we say Net Neutrality is Socialism for the Internet – guaranteeing everyone equal amounts of nothing. See (yet again, also): Venezuela.

But is Schumer the only stupid Democrat re-proposing the same stupidities over and over and over again?

Thankfully, finally – the Barack Obama Administration is in the rearview mirror. We now have the Donald Trump Administration – which has thankfully spent a great deal of its time undoing what its predecessor did.

But unfortunately – some habits die hard. Like heaping government money upon people who aren’t hacking it on their own.

“In January, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unanimously rejected a profoundly anti-competitive proposal by the Energy Department to provide billions in subsidies to old, unprofitable power plants. After the exceptional political blowback from its attempt to pick winners (or more aptly, subsidize losers), Energy Department officials are back to the drawing board. But have they learned?

“The early signs indicate a clear ‘no.’ Key political appointees at the Energy Department (DOE) are ignoring evidence and bypassing their own in-house experts to funnel financial aid to unprofitable power plants. The motives couldn’t be more obvious – the same politically-tied companies that drove the last proposal are back at it again because they can’t compete in the marketplace.”

Fantastic. More government money – for more political cronies. How very Obama Administration of the Trump Administration.

Everyone involved in the process of generating and delivering real energy – and not on the government money recipient list – are vociferously opposed. The opposition – is bipartisan and nigh universal:

“Democrats and former George W. Bush administration energy officials decried the proposal while consumer and environmental groups joined free-market think tanks, including the R Street Institute and The Heritage Foundation, in opposition….

“Broad coalitions – such as the Affordable Energy Coalition – have formed in defense of markets….

“Heavy industry, dismayed by the Energy Department proposal, told Congress that ‘DOE is saying manufacturing jobs are not as important as the jobs at economically obsolete…power plants.’ It’s not the role of the federal government to determine whose job is more important.”

Indeed “it’s not the role of the federal government to determine whose job is more important.”

“At the nexus of incompetence and cronyism lies the pinnacle of bad governance. For an administration that promised to drain the swap, energy subsidies do precisely the opposite. Subsidizing unprofitable power plants puts cronies, not America, first….

“Economic fundamentals, not cronyism, should drive electricity investment decisions. Competitive electricity markets align economic incentives and put customers, not well-connected companies, first. Putting private capital at risk, rather than socializing risk through taxpayer or ratepayer-funded subsidies and regulated monopolies, ensures that companies properly assess their investments. This is why competitive markets have outperformed monopoly investments, resulting in cost-efficient investments, increased innovation and more choice for American families and businesses….

“If power plants are profitable, subsidies only serve to pad a company’s bottom line. If they’re not profitable, taxpayers should not prop them up. Rather than keeping them on life support, government should allow economic failures to fail so that those resources are free to flow to more useful purposes elsewhere in the economy.”

Here’s hoping this massive, bipartisan opposition – and their massive assertion of Reality – will lead to a change of heart…and minds:

“In an April 2017 memo, (Energy) Secretary (Rick) Perry requested a study examining the country’s electricity markets and reliability. The Energy Department should seek to enhance competitive markets by following through on technical recommendations from the resulting staff report.

“Furthermore, the department should offer its modeling and other in-house technical capabilities to grid operators and FERC officials as they continue to examine grid resilience. This would complement a broader conservative energy reset, anchored by a commitment to competition, customer choice and good governance.”

“For decades, the federal government has implemented distortionary energy subsidies and regulations. Further undermining competitive markets and pouring billions in subsidies to cronies is a surefire way to harm all energy customers, stifle innovation and promote energy dependence on handouts. Congress should press the administration for a course correction – or else members will face the wrath of dismayed voters with higher energy bills this fall.”

Let us, finally, return to an actual free market energy system – and thereby reassert just a little bit of Reality in DC.

Yesterday the media was in full excitement as Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, appeared on a number of news networks concerning Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The news panels were atitter with his releasing of private financial information that showed Cohen had received payments from a number of companies. As I wrote yesterday, his being in possession of these documents raised the question of legality, and now he may be at risk of facing charges as a result.

Avenatti’s claims were circumstantial at best. He insinuated the payments were unethical, and tried to tie them to the settlement that was paid to his client. There were a number of problems with his claims in what the networks called a “bombshell”. He showed no legal problem with the consulting fees paid to Cohen. He insinuated the money made up a slush-fund that paid off his client, yet the bulk of the payments he showed were made after she received her payment. He also implied Russian collusion with the appearance of the name of a Russian oligarch, except that very oligarch was slapped with sanctions by Trump’s administration.

Now Michael Avenatti is possibly facing numerous legal problems for his document reveal on May 8. His being in possession of Cohen’s records is being challenged, as Cohen’s lawyers stated in a court filing that Avenatti should not have been revealing private records. More than that Avenatti has, very quickly, become the focus of government investigators.

The Treasury Department’s Inspector General is now investigating if Michael Cohen’s banking records have been illegally leaked. These are not easy to obtain records. There are questions whether Avenatti received banking Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR), or if this stems from the Mueller investigation and the raiding of Cohen’s offices. “The language in his dossier is “consistent with” wording typically found in SARs, said Daniel P. Stipano, former deputy chief counsel in the Treasury’s Office, told the Washington Post. “This has the appearance of a leak. It shouldn’t happen, but things leak.”

One other problem with Avenatti’s report: He released private banking information of other individuals. It appears he did not properly verify all of the transactions, as some of those noted in his report concerned other individuals named Michael Cohen. Avenatti had been contacted by one Canadian businessman who discovered his financials had been exposed by the porn star’s lawyer, and Israel’s Haaretz found another instance of mistaken banking made by Avenatti.

The press this morning seemed far less enthusiastic in detailing the ways Avenatti’s report generated these problematic results. The curious part is how quickly the government moved on investigating the Avenatti report. What will be worth watching is from what source the lawyer was delivered these financials.

If he culled them from banking SAR there may be repercussions with his exposing them so publicly. If his intel came from inside the Mueller investigation there may be even greater trouble for the litigant.

We can be quite sure Cuomo’s surely-sham investigator – won’t be investigating this:

Why New York Attorneys General Are Such Power-Mad Freaks: “The fact that two of the last three men who served as New York attorney general were ousted from public life for sexual misbehavior clearly will overshadow a much bigger problem: The job is structured to attract the worst pols by granting them immense prosecutorial power to crush targets and feed their ambition.”

Schneiderman put this massive abuse-of-power to really bad use. Schneiderman is a Leftist. And Leftists don’t like capitalism generally – or the energy that fuels it specifically.

But of course – Schneiderman wasn’t operating in a vacuum. He was working in coordination with all sorts of Leftist “outside” groups – which are always very successful at getting inside Democrats’ offices.

These are the same Leftist groups – that have been blocking any energy exploration or development anywhere in the United States.

Oh – and of course these Leftist groups can’t do anything…without funding. So of course we have a whole host of the usual Leftist billionaire suspects surreptitiously dumping billions of dollars into their Communist coffers. And in many other ways working together to disguise their anti-energy agenda – behind masks of alleged environmental concerns.

It’s a scene, Man.

We’ll work our way east-to-west across the US – stopping for select Leftist annoyance visual aides all along the way.

We move next to North Dakota.

Too Much Dishonesty, WAY Too Late, on the Dakota Access Pipeline: “Behold environmentalist radical trial lawyers EarthJustice – and their client, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (SRST)….EarthJustice and the Tribe have filed a lawsuit to try to stop the DAPL – in which they falsely claim they never had any say in the approval processes. Five governments’ documented evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.”

“At least that’s the takeaway from a recent campaign mailer from the Washington Conservation Voters (WCV) political action committee, which has taken an interest in the race.

“In Vancouver, Wash., the race for port commissioner is between Don Orange, an opponent of a proposed oil terminal, and Kris Greene, who has said he wants to see the review process for the project seen through.

“The cover of the WCV mailer features a scenic picture of Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, B.C….

“(T)he Seattle-based WCV accidentally used a picture of the wrong Vancouver.

“The environmentalists want so bad to stop some oil terminal at some port in some Vancouver. But their profound befuddlement – has yet again left their execution wanting.”

Of course, the “Steyer” in the headline – is environmental-billionaire Tom Steyer. Who made much of his massive money in the energy business – and now spends his massive money trying to destroy it.

Climate of Unaccountability: “A leading example is Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s office, which seems to have subcontracted some of its work and budget to two foundations pushing an activist climate agenda. An environmental nonprofit, the World Resources Institute, actually hired Washington’s state government as a contractor last July.

“Under this remarkable arrangement, the state agreed to perform a “scope of work” for the nonprofit that includes “activities and deliverables” to advance a green agenda. The special-interest tail is officially wagging the democratic dog, given that the contract provides the job framework for Mr. Inslee’s senior policy adviser for climate and sustainability, Reed Schuler.”

That’s REALLY getting into Democrats’ offices. All the way in.

Which brings us to Alaska.

Alaska is inordinately energy-rich (thank you very much, William Seward). So of course the Left is inordinately busy trying to prevent us from accessing any of it.

Of course, the “Obama” in the headline – is Trump predecessor President Barack Obama.

God bless Trump – who almost immediately after entering the Oval Office also green-lit once-and-for-all the Keystone Pipeline.

And now – behold the latest Leftist anti-energy enviro-scam. Blocking another attempt at energy development – in the alleged name of allegedly saving salmon.

The Deception of Stand for Salmon: “Alarms now are sounding on an issue that few Alaskans are aware of. The Stand for Salmon ballot measure, a misguided attempt to improve salmon habitat protections, is slated to be on the November general election ballot….

“It only takes one read of the eight-page document to convince most Alaskans that this ballot measure is both un-Alaskan and unsound. Legal experts have analyzed the ballot measure’s language and are shocked by its breadth, complexity, vague undefined terms and its unstated presumptions.

“Alaska is already home to a world-class permitting system that allows responsible development and successful fish habitat management to co-exist. This ballot measure is a radical overhaul of a system that works, and it provides no additional benefit to the environment.

“Outside money and outside influence led to the creation of this measure and the result is a dumpster fire. It is unwieldy, unpredictable, and dangerous. The fish habitat measure ensures that our economy will continue to shrink, joblessness will grow, and our state will continue to see an out migration of people.

“Outside environmental groups and their wealthy outside benefactors are not the people who should be weighing in on policies in Alaska. These are people with a longstanding agenda, and they don’t care if they sabotage economic growth and jobs in their misguided mission to enforce extreme fish habitat regulations to the exclusion of everything else.

“These activists, whose single largest donor is a Boston billionaire, don’t live here, so why would they care if our current economic recession deepens?”

Is the “Boston billionaire” dumping this anti-energy Leftist money into Alaska – Steyer? Nope. The Left has a full roster of billionaires flinging cash everywhere. (It, of course, ain’t George Soros, either.)

Of course, Alaska has done just fine balancing energy development with environmental concerns – for decades.

Alaskans do not need outside billionaires dumping massive coin into the state – to stand-up fake environmental groups to battle fake problems they themselves conjure up out of thin air.

Of course, all fifty states in our union can do very well – in fact, very much better – without this massive outside Leftist meddling.

But it is all a part of what the anti-energy, anti-commerce Left does.

As they work nationwide – to prevent anyone from doing anything profitable anywhere.

As the late, inordinately great Andrew Breitbart wisely noted: “Politics is downstream from culture.”

Our politics is so awful, awfully Leftist – in no small part because our culture is so awful, awfully Leftist.

Our media of all sorts – news, Hollywood, music, literature – is corrupt nigh to the core. And that rot – pollutes the waterways all the way down to our politics.

So ANY cultural glimmer of sanity and reason to pierce the dark veil – should be warmly welcomed.

Rapper Kanye West is currently offering one such glimmer. West is thankfully in the midst of melting down a decent portion of the Democrats’ horde-enforced lockdown on black people and their votes.

It all began with what what in saner times would be the most innocuous of pro-President Donald Trump comments. Delivered – as many things these days are – via Twitter:

Really – this is inordinately innocuous. But every single word of this – is highly problematic for Democrats. Who loathe individual thought – and rely on horde violence to enforce any deviation from the Leftist mind meld. Especially when it comes to blacks – who have for decades overwhelmingly voted for Democrats.

West has hereby committed Leftist racial heresy.

Thankfully, West did what Trump also does when confronted by the hordes. He didn’t back down – he doubled down. Appearing on TMZ, West said:

“You’re choosing to enslave peoples’ minds. You’re choosing to not let the truth be free….

“It’s the mob. The mob tries to tell you what to think. The mob tries to make all blacks be Democrats for food stamps. It’s the mob.”

Yes, I know West hasn’t spent his life writing treatises on Austrian economics and traditional social doctrine. And he hasn’t now arrived at 100% conserva-tarian-ism.

But…politics is downstream from culture. And if this modern-day cultural icon is carpet-bombing his tens of millions of fans with these eminently reasonable truths – we should at the very least appreciatively applaud his efforts.

We’ll take wisdom – wherever it turns up.

Which brings us to former WWE wrestler Glenn Jacobs – better known by his nom de singlet Kane.

Because for the media, seeing Libertarians and Conservatives – is like being on safari in Africa. They are examining what are for them weird and dangerous animals – from which they would very much like to distance themselves – and the nation.

But while Kanye West appears to have recently arrived at Reality – Jacobs seems to have thought about these things for a very long time. His less government ideology is very much fully-formed – and he is more than able and willing to discuss it.

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the exchange – was Jacobs deviating from what seems to be dominate Libertarian doctrine on Intellectual Property (IP).

Most Libertarians are…awful on IP. They fly full-speed into the headwinds of human nature – and pretend that if you allow universal theft of the work product of IP producers – IP producers will continue to produce IP anyway.

Which is…simply, titanically stupid. Intellectual Property – is property. If we allow universal theft of a farmer’s crops – no one will ever farm again. Because…duh. If we allow universal theft of IP – no one will ever create IP again. Because…duh.

“You can completely lose innovation – because there is no profit motive. Why would I want to go out there and work really hard – and as an entrepreneur put my capital and put my time into research and development and bring a product to market – when I’m not going to be able to keep the profits and the fruit of my labor? The incentives are completely, completely perverted and distorted.”

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio was once the next, newest Conservative Golden Boy…for about three seconds.

In the midst of the 2010 Tea Party-fueled revolution election, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was desperately trying to fend off conservative insurgent candidates. Who were looking to represent the GOP base – who have the audacity to expect the DC GOP to actually do the less government things upon which they always campaign.

Then-State House Speaker Rubio declared early for the Florida Senate seat. And after having been a state-level leading advocate for illegal alien amnesty – promised conservative and Tea Party leaders he had experienced an awakening. And that he was now on the side of the law-and-order angels on immigration policy.

It was largely this promise – that secured him widespread conservative support. And the malevolent neglect of McConnell. Who let Rubio languish for months – and then immediately endorsed squishier-than-Squish alleged Republican Charlie Crist the second Crist announced.

Rubio – who had initially been polling at a very meager five percent – won the primary over Crist, defeating the DC GOP Establishment. And then won the general. All thanks almost entirely to his conservative supporters – who backed him based largely on his immigration mea culpa promise.

But just about the first thing Rubio did after unpacking his boxes in his regal new Senate office – was screw everyone on illegal alien amnesty.

In fact, Rubio took said second shot…in writing. He tried to do damage control – by dressing up his shot in allegedly conservative garb and publishing in a conservative publication. But a second shot it was, nevertheless.

In fact, Rubio is apparently less of a fan of the tax cut for which he voted – than No-Vote Florida Democrat Senator Nelson: “The Tax Foundation’s Scott Greenberg has noted that not only does Rubio believe the corporate rate cut was too aggressive, but also that Bill Nelson, Florida’s Democratic senator, has sounded more positive about the tax law’s deduction for pass-through income than other tax writers in his party.”

Even more election year assistance from Republican Rubio – for Democrat Nelson.

Of course, Rubio is on the tax reform law – nigh entirely incorrect.

Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) has an ongoing, rolling compilation page of all the very many benefits the tax law has delivered to workers. As of this writing: “522 companies (and counting) announce pay raises, bonuses, 401(k) match increases, expansions, and utility rate cuts.”

That’s a whole lot of benefits for a whole lot of workers. You know – the ones Rubio said didn’t overwhelmingly benefit.

And before we move on from this – the ATR list is only a compilation of direct worker benefits.

Anyone who understands very basic market economics knows the IN-direct benefits – will be even more fruitful and bountiful.

Anything private sector companies do with their money – helps the economy. Which helps workers – because it helps everyone.

I can’t find a link, but I remember Trump at one point saying he doesn’t just want everyone to have a job – he wants everyone to have multiple job offers. Which would mean a bidding war for each person’s services – which would mean much higher wages and much better benefits.

This only happens – when private companies keep more of their coin. And with it do all sorts of things – beyond just increasing existing employees’ wages and benefits.

Rubio decries things like stock buybacks. Which are really great for shareholders – including we tens of millions with retirement accounts.

But these buybacks – are companies reinvesting in themselves. To grow – and thus hire more people.

Thus getting us closer to Trump’s vision. Of each American getting to choose between multiple job offers. And thereby getting much better wages and benefits.

Oh: And of course another of the objectives of tax reform – was to make America a much more attractive place to do business. Which it indubitably does.

Which means businesses that aren’t doing business here – will start. And those that are – will expand.

All of which means more job offers. Again getting us closer to Trump’s vision.

Investigators looking into the $130,000 Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels had Cohen’s phones tapped prior to the raid on his offices and hotel room.

A new report doesn’t specify when the tap began, but at least one phone call between a White House phone and Cohen was intercepted.

At least one phone call between a phone line associated with Cohen and the White House was intercepted.

With Trump’s penchant for expressing outrage over phone taps, one can only imagine how he’ll react.

According to Trump’s new attorney, Rudy Guiliani, the president was told not to communicate with Cohen after the raid and warned Cohen — who is likely facing an array of charges — could flip on Trump in an effort to spare himself. An idea the president reportedly eschewed because of his long friendship with the man.

It’s again worth noting the attorney-client privilege here is one-sided. What Trump tells his attorney is privileged, but if Cohen told Trump about something he did, it is not because Donald Trump is not Michael Cohen’s attorney.

Attorney Albert Watkins works in his office Monday, May 4, 2015, in Clayton, Mo. Watkins has filed a lawsuit in an effort to obtain court files and adoption records that might shed light on what exactly happened in at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis after nearly 20 women came to him expressing concerns that their infants who reportedly died at birth at the now-closed hospital, mostly from the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s, were actually stolen and adopted by others. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

The saga continues for Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (and the citizens of Missouri.) As we reported previously, the attorney for the ex-husband of Greitens’ mistress acknowledged earlier this week that he received $100,000 from a “mystery donor,” in January.

It was a busy day for Al Watkins, one of the lawyers at the center of the invasion of privacy case against Governor Eric Greitens.

Defense attorneys for the Governor dropped the bombshell that sources tell them Watkins, who represents the ex-husband of the Governor’s mistress, accepted a payment of $100,000 from an unnamed political group for representing the man.

James Martin, one of Greitens’ attorneys, never gave any evidence that the group was political in nature.

The defense has filed a subpoena of Watkin’s bank records to prove it.

Watkins told Judge Rex Burlison he will file a motion to quash the subpoena Tuesday. Shortly after the court appearance, Watkins confirmed to reporters that he did receive the payment, but said he didn’t even know the source of the money. He told the Associated Press a courier delivered two payment of $50,000 to his suburban St. Louis office in early January.

Today, the Judge overseeing Greitens’ criminal trial ordered Watkins to disclose the source of those funds:

Circuit Judge Rex Burlison on Friday ordered lawyer Al Watkins to be deposed next week about the source of two $50,000 cash bundles delivered anonymously at his Clayton law firm a month before Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted on a felony charge of invasion of privacy.

“I think that’s a relevant inquiry,” Burlison told lawyers toward the end of an hour-long hearing Friday. “The answer to that question needs to be tracked down.”

Further adding to the muddle, Watkins now claims to know the source of the money after all:

The governor’s defense team says they want to know what motivated the ex-husband to come forward to News 4 and other media outlets. Even the lawyers now have lawyers in the case that just keeps getting more complex.

Earlier in the week, Watkins stood on the steps of the courthouse and told reporters that he had recieved two anonymous cash payments. He’s now hired attorneys who told the judge Friday the payments came from one of Watkins’ clients, but they argued that Watkins shouldn’t have to reveal who it is, saying it’s not relevant. The attorneys argued that Watkins wasn’t in the basement when Greitens is alleged to have taken a picture of a woman without her consent.

Burlison also ordered the woman’s cell phone turned over by Monday. A special master has been appointed to oversee the download and production of the data from the phone.

Today’s ruling comes on the heels of several other significant developments in the case:

On Thursday, former FBI agent William Don Tisaby, a private investigator hired by Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to lead the invasion of privacy investigation of the governor, refused to answer questions, leading defense lawyers to call for witnesses and evidence linked to the investigator to be excluded from the case.

The criminal trial is set to start on May 14th, with jury selection commencing on May 10th.

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